SCOTTISH Nationalists could soon be dominating an Ed Miliband-run Government after the next election, Alex Salmond warned yesterday.

The former SNP leader, who hopes to return to the Commons in May, set his sights on holding “the power” at Westminster in a hung parliament after polling day on May 7.

He signalled that the SNP will be willing to prop up a minority Labour government on a vote-by-vote basis while staying out of a coalition.

He vowed that holding the balance of power will mean nationalist MPs can cancel further austerity measures and force public spending to soar.

The Tories yesterday described his threat as “terrifying”.

Mr Salmond was talking on the BBC1 Andrew Marr Show. “If you hold the balance, then you hold the power,” he said.

I think it’s a very bad idea in politics to bend under pressure

Alex Salmond, Former SNP leader

Asked if Ed Balls would be forced to negotiate with the SNP to pass a Labour budget through a hung parliament, Mr Salmond said: “Yes, any minority government has to negotiate in order to win a majority for its proposal. That is patently obvious.

“To deny that’s to deny reality. If the SNP are in these circumstances it’ll be very good for Scotland, certainly.”

Pressed on what kind of deal was possible, he said: “The Labour Party have ruled out a coalition but haven’t ruled out a confidence and supply arrangement, where you have a set programme...I think it is more likely to be a vote by vote arrangement.”

The former SNP leader said: “I think it’s a very bad idea in politics to bend under pressure.” He went on: “Hopefully that decisive bloc of SNP MPs will move the Labour Party in a different direction.”

He said: “I think people across these islands are pretty fed up with the duopoly at Westminster and might want to see politics a bit more interesting, where parties have to work for their votes and have to justify things on a vote by vote basis to the people of the country.”